42 LADIES ON HOESEBACK. 



balance, never from your horse's head. In 

 taking an up jump leave him abundance of 

 head-room, and sit well back, lest in his effort 

 he knock you in the face. If the jump is a 

 down one — what is known as an ^^ ugly drop '* 

 — follow the same rules ; but, when your 

 horse is landing, give him good support from 

 the bridle, as, should the ground be at all soft 

 or marshy, he might be apt to peck, and so 

 give you an ugly fall. 



It is a disputed point whether or not horses 

 like jumping. I am incHned to coincide in 

 poor Whyte-Melville's opinion that they do 

 not. He w^as a good authority upon most 

 subjects connected with equine matters, and 

 so he ought to know ; but of one thing I am 

 positively certain : they abhor schooling. 

 However a horse may tolerate or even enjoy 

 a good fast scurry with hounds, there can be 

 no doubt that he greatly dishkes being brought 

 to his fences in cold blood. He has not, when 

 schooling, the impetus which sends him 

 along, nor the example or excitement to be 

 met with in the hunting-field. The horse is 

 naturally a timid animal, and this is why he 



